USA, the Wealthy Nation US population is only 5 % of the world’s total population, but they use 25 % of the world’s energy/year, and generate 3.5 kg of trash and a nd garbage/person/day garbage/p erson/day..
From Producers to Consumers •
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In the 1700s and 1800s the Americans thought of themselves as producers rather than consumers. In the 20th centur the Americans be an to think of themselves more as consumers than as producers, esp. due to the mass advertising through radio (since 1920s) and TV (1950s). American economy greatly depends on consumerism.
How Americans Spend Their Money
Retrieved Retriev ed from: http://www http://www.akpace.c .akpace.com/tag/money om/tag/money
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To compens com pensate ate the tough life in the frontier ages
Convenience
Emerged fast-foods, automatic appliances. But Americans keep on being busy in inventing new things
Puritan’s insistence on cleanliness; “Cleanliness is next to godliness”
Comfort
What American Consumer Like
Cleanliness
Novelty
Driven by Americans’ pride in inventiveness
Effects of Technological Abundance •
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Change in TV viewing habits: Besides the commercial TV networks (NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox) many public TV stations offering educational and cultural programs and hundreds of cable TVs offering special sports or entertainment emerged Since the ublic TV stations stations and cable TV channels contain no advertisement, companies promotes their products through the placement of their goods in movies or shows, Advertisements are now also placed in internet. In 2000, more than 50% of American household had one or more PCs. Americans now tend to look at their computer as a TV, DVD player, Stereo set, and communication media.
The Ever-Expanding Pie? •
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During the first 200 years have the Americans always thought that North America was an everexpanding pie. In most other countries in Europe, people believed in that the rich had a larger piece of the pie, but in America they have believed in that the pie just continued to grow and so all people, rich and poor, just could get a . ’ Americans believed that the pie would grow bigger and bigger because of new products and techniques, and it would last as long as they could see in the future. The belief in an everlasting heritage was a good thing, it made America to an optimistic country and the people had more confidence that human problems could be solved.
Or the Decline of American Abundance? Over the last few decades the American economy has had its up and downs. The 1980’s and 90’s brought a general turn in the economy, , they were not able to live out The American Dream. Many Americans have problems keeping up the rising costs, particularly for housing.
What of the Future? •
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It is uncertain uncertain whether the American position in global economic will remain, especially with the many competitors, crisis’s, upturns, and downturns. One thing is certain though; the American tradition and lifestyle of this ever been abundance will remain the va ues o t e mer can peop e. However, when there is a decline in the abundance, there will arise many positive side effects, such as the global warming situation, which resulted in many Americans now recycling aluminum and tin cans, plastic bags and so on. Children also learn about environmental issues and how to treat the environment properly in school.
References Althen, Gary. 2003. American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States. Maine: Intercultural Press. Bigsby, Christopher. 2006. The Cambridge Companion to Modern American Culture. New York: York: Cambridge Cambridge University Press Datesman, M.K., Crandall, J., & Kearny. 2005. American Ways: An Introduction to American Culture. New York: York: Pearson Education Inc.
